Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Another Building-Block Victory, Farm Roundup, Quick Hits

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Another Building-Block Victory, Farm Roundup, Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

Rinaldo and Rosehill continue to take undisciplined penalties and make undisciplined plays, but manage to return to the lineup....and Andrej Meszaros has apparently done something bad enough to earn relegation to the Cote/Shelley Suite for the remainder of his contract.

The Flyers could really use a 4th line of Laperriere, Betts and Carcillo again.

Rinaldo and Rosehill continue to take undisciplined penalties and make undisciplined plays, but manage to return to the lineup....and Andrej Meszaros has apparently done something bad enough to earn relegation to the Cote/Shelley Suite for the remainder of his contract.

The Flyers could really use a 4th line of Laperriere, Betts and Carcillo again.
- Jsaquella

Really annoying to see. Let mezzy play on the 4th line and keep himself in game shape. Could risk hurting him, but he doesn't benefit anyone on the bench.

Really annoying to see. Let mezzy play on the 4th line and keep himself in game shape. Could risk hurting him, but he doesn't benefit anyone on the bench.
- Flyersgod

Rather see the Flyers call up Holmstrom and have a 4th line of him, Talbot and Hall, which could also open a spot for McGinn

Rather see the Flyers call up Holmstrom and have a 4th line of him, Talbot and Hall, which could also open a spot for McGinn
- Jsaquella

Can't argue that. Would be better than what we are doing now

last night was as well as ive seen the flyers play in their own end in a long, long time.

btw, as much as i enjoyed last nights game the best game i.ve seen this w/e was the BC/MInn game friday night. that was a great game.

Rather see the Flyers call up Holmstrom and have a 4th line of him, Talbot and Hall, which could also open a spot for McGinn
- Jsaquella

It was a shame last night, because the Flyers were playing fairly well, except for some sporadic bursts where the Islanders' speed was a factor.

But that effort looks totally different if Rinaldo's penalty in the third leads to that game getting tied. The Islanders power play was dangerous, just didn't score.

I'll never understand it. A team with so little margin for error simply can't risk losing points and games so casually. And yet...

It was a shame last night, because the Flyers were playing fairly well, except for some sporadic bursts where the Islanders' speed was a factor.

But that effort looks totally different if Rinaldo's penalty in the third leads to that game getting tied. The Islanders power play was dangerous, just didn't score.

I'll never understand it. A team with so little margin for error simply can't risk losing points and games so casually. And yet...
- AllInForFlyers

Rinaldo has been pretty good over the last couple seasons. I'd say he's drawn many more penalties than taken. That's really what you want out of your energy guys. I'm a little more lenient with him.

I would, on the other hand, like to see the Flyers call-up/sign/acquire a solid 4th line player to replace Rosehill. In hingsight, it may have been better to keep Laughton.

It was a shame last night, because the Flyers were playing fairly well, except for some sporadic bursts where the Islanders' speed was a factor.

But that effort looks totally different if Rinaldo's penalty in the third leads to that game getting tied. The Islanders power play was dangerous, just didn't score.

I'll never understand it. A team with so little margin for error simply can't risk losing points and games so casually. And yet...
- AllInForFlyers

My worry about the 4th line is two fold. Sure, Rinaldo's ability last year to draw more penalties than he took seems to be gone this season, and Rosehill is just a goon, but even more, that line can't be counted on to play 10-12 minutes on a given night, on a semi-regular basis.

Rosehill has played more than 10 minutes in a game twice in his NHL career, per NHL.com. Even Rinaldo, with two better players can be a 10+ minute player. The issue there is, the other three lines don't get a break. They don't get a chance to rest, because the 4th line can't be trusted unless they're out against another team's 4th line.

I can't be too hard on anyone last night on the Flyers.
They played well as a team, everyone seemed to fit in their roles and they trusted each other.

A few dumb plays but over 90% was good.

Berube seems to have a good feel for the players and putting the lines together.
For example I liked where he put Hartnell and Hartnell seemed to play well.
Sending McGinn down wasn't popular but looks like the right move.

More importantly the players seem to be buying into the coach's system.
Their team D is better then it has been in a while.

Last year's team would gave given up 5+ odd man rushes to the Islanders.
We didn't see that last night.

My worry about the 4th line is two fold. Sure, Rinaldo's ability last year to draw more penalties than he took seems to be gone this season, and Rosehill is just a goon, but even more, that line can't be counted on to play 10-12 minutes on a given night, on a semi-regular basis.

Rosehill has played more than 10 minutes in a game twice in his NHL career, per NHL.com. Even Rinaldo, with two better players can be a 10+ minute player. The issue there is, the other three lines don't get a break. They don't get a chance to rest, because the 4th line can't be trusted unless they're out against another team's 4th line.
- Jsaquella

Agreed -- I liked the lineup against the Rangers, for that reason. I thought it was great coaching by Berube to move Talbot up in the lineup later in the game, because he really is solid defensively and never stops skating.

For me...I do think there's room for a fourth line to play the kinds of minutes you just described. But it seems that the worse Rinaldo's linemates are, the more questionable his play becomes.

Jsaq I agree with you about the 4th line.
I like Rinaldo's energy but his defense could be better.

Ideally I'd like to see Hall centering Talbot and Raffl.
That would work even in the playoffs.
I've been impressed with Raffl's positioning and play away from the puck.
He is solid defensively. He can skate and has decent size.

He's holding down the wing on the #1 line for now but he looks like a player that could fit well in any role including a bottom six checking line.

Hopefully both our clubs are turning it around now ! looking forward to two good games coming up just hoping the Devils come away with 4 points. You guys can have 2 thought cause I like to be nice

Jsaq I agree with you about the 4th line.
I like Rinaldo's energy but his defense could be better.

Ideally I'd like to see Hall centering Talbot and Raffl.
That would work even in the playoffs.
I've been impressed with Raffl's positioning and play away from the puck.
He is solid defensively. He can skate and has decent size.

He's holding down the wing on the #1 line for now but he looks like a player that could fit well in any role including a bottom six checking line.
- Marc D

He will be Nodl'd soon enough by the fan base.

I can't be too hard on anyone last night on the Flyers.
They played well as a team, everyone seemed to fit in their roles and they trusted each other.

A few dumb plays but over 90% was good.

Berube seems to have a good feel for the players and putting the lines together.
For example I liked where he put Hartnell and Hartnell seemed to play well.
Sending McGinn down wasn't popular but looks like the right move.

More importantly the players seem to be buying into the coach's system.
Their team D is better then it has been in a while.

Last year's team would gave given up 5+ odd man rushes to the Islanders.
We didn't see that last night.
- Marc D

No real complaints in that regard; the Flyers did play well. The Islanders aren't a pushover; they were going to get their chances, too.

Vincent Lecavalier, with the way he's played in every game this season...I don't know what Year 5 of that contract is going to look like, but I sure as hell think Year 1 and 2 might be amazing.

But I think it's dangerous to praise all the good things and ignore what we all clearly saw -- that Rinaldo penalty in the third...that was an awful penalty. Up by one, on the road, against the league's top PP...you're 2-7...that's a penalty that just doesn't have to happen. It matters because he put the entire team at risk, a night where they were playing well.

No real complaints in that regard; the Flyers did play well. The Islanders aren't a pushover; they were going to get their chances, too.

Vincent Lecavalier, with the way he's played in every game this season...I don't know what Year 5 of that contract is going to look like, but I sure as hell think Year 1 and 2 might be amazing.

But I think it's dangerous to praise all the good things and ignore what we all clearly saw -- that Rinaldo penalty in the third...that was an awful penalty. Up by one, on the road, against the league's top PP...you're 2-7...that's a penalty that just doesn't have to happen. It matters because he put the entire team at risk, a night where they were playing well.
- AllInForFlyers

Yeh it was a dumb move.
But only 3 penalties overall is the bigger picture, especially against a team scoring almost 1 out of three PPs.

To me Rinaldo brings energy.
He still needs to work on his defensive game.
I'd like a 4th line to be one the coach trusts to play in the 3rd period when they are leading by one goal.

I think right now the coach won't play Zac or Rosehill in those spots, and will shorten the bench and play Talbot with Couts.

If they become a playoff team that won't work.
shortening the bench is doable but can also hurt them during the regular season.

Agreed -- I liked the lineup against the Rangers, for that reason. I thought it was great coaching by Berube to move Talbot up in the lineup later in the game, because he really is solid defensively and never stops skating.

For me...I do think there's room for a fourth line to play the kinds of minutes you just described. But it seems that the worse Rinaldo's linemates are, the more questionable his play becomes.
- AllInForFlyers

That last part does seem valid. We'd have to dig into stats to verify it, but on the surface, I agree with you.

Rinaldo does seem to feed off his linemates.

Hopefully both our clubs are turning it around now ! looking forward to two good games coming up just hoping the Devils come away with 4 points. You guys can have 2 thought cause I like to be nice
- blizzzard

The Metro Division has been a weird place this fall, for sure.

Rinaldo and Rosehill continue to take undisciplined penalties and make undisciplined plays, but manage to return to the lineup....and Andrej Meszaros has apparently done something bad enough to earn relegation to the Cote/Shelley Suite for the remainder of his contract.

The Flyers could really use a 4th line of Laperriere, Betts and Carcillo again.
- Jsaquella

i honestly was hoping we had that with talbot/hall/rinaldo

rinaldo had made some improvements on the stupid penalty front but he seems to be having a bit of a regression

if Vinny can stay in the mindset of a shooter, it'll really help this team...his skill set is a more mature version of JVR in many ways...

read that teams have been calling about Jake and Simmer and that the Flyers don't want to move either. Jake is the one you'd have to move to even begin a convo about a certain kind of dman and Simmer could only get you a different kind of forward at this point...off of last nite's win, i just want to see what they can do over the nxt 10 gms.

I can't be too hard on anyone last night on the Flyers.
They played well as a team, everyone seemed to fit in their roles and they trusted each other.

A few dumb plays but over 90% was good.

Berube seems to have a good feel for the players and putting the lines together.
For example I liked where he put Hartnell and Hartnell seemed to play well.
Sending McGinn down wasn't popular but looks like the right move.

More importantly the players seem to be buying into the coach's system.
Their team D is better then it has been in a while.

Last year's team would gave given up 5+ odd man rushes to the Islanders.
We didn't see that last night.
- Marc D

i think i could really learn to like the hartnell/schenn/jake line

He will be Nodl'd soon enough by the fan base.

- MBFlyerfan

Giroux may be Nodl'd soon by some of the fan base.

He is "Fraud" Giroux.

My worry about the 4th line is two fold. Sure, Rinaldo's ability last year to draw more penalties than he took seems to be gone this season, and Rosehill is just a goon, but even more, that line can't be counted on to play 10-12 minutes on a given night, on a semi-regular basis.

Rosehill has played more than 10 minutes in a game twice in his NHL career, per NHL.com. Even Rinaldo, with two better players can be a 10+ minute player. The issue there is, the other three lines don't get a break. They don't get a chance to rest, because the 4th line can't be trusted unless they're out against another team's 4th line.
- Jsaquella

look forward to the day that they can walk away from the mindset that has rosebud on the roster. team toughness and 4 lines that can score in varying degrees, playing 200 ft and in all areas of the ice...

That last part does seem valid. We'd have to dig into stats to verify it, but on the surface, I agree with you.

Rinaldo does seem to feed off his linemates.
- Jsaquella

when rosehill is in rinaldo gets that extra dumb gleam in his eye

Giroux may be Nodl'd soon by some of the fan base.

He is "Fraud" Giroux.
- Marc D

i have already seen that moniker a lot on silly.com